The Exchange
by HPGurl1988
Summary: Please Read and Review! Finally Finished!
1. The Beginning

Kari Potter awoke to the familiar sound of her twin brother's loud snores and glanced over at the clock. It was five in the morning. She got up, dressed, and looked at the full-length mirror that hung on the wall by a set of bunk beds. As she brushed her hair, she looked at her figure. She was normal sized for her age and had long brown hair that was usually tied back to keep it out of her eyes. There was a lightening shaped scar on her forehead that was just visible under her bangs. Her eyes glimmered under her annoyingly long lashes. Somehow, the color of her eyes changed with her mood. They were now a dark brown, mainly because she was tired. 

When she finished braiding her hair, she picked up her mother's silver necklace and strung it around her neck. Her mother, Lily Potter, had given this particular necklace to her when she was a baby, and it had always been very close to her heart. The orb that hung around her neck, like her eyes, changed with her mood. Kari's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a loud snort from her brother, Jessie, as he rolled over on the top bunk. 

Kari, quiet as a mouse, opened the bedroom door and slipped down the hall. _The sun won't rise for another hour or so,_ she thought to herself, as she walked down the stairs. She skipped the last step, so that it wouldn't creek. 

She walked into the kitchen and poured some juice into a glass, then walked into the living room. She flopped down on the sofa and switched on the television, being careful to turn down the volume, so that she wouldn't wake anyone. 

About an hour and a half-later, Kari's brother, Jes, came downstairs and sat down on the couch beside her. He yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Kari looked over at her brother. He had short black hair with brown streaks, and dark brown eyes. Sometimes he spiked it up, and other times, he just put on a hat. He was normal sized for his age, just like her, but his face showed that he had been up late reading the most recent letters from his girlfriend, Veronica.

Veronica Alverez was a nice-looking girl with brown hair and matching brown eyes. In a way, she Kari and Jes were similar. For the past five years, all three of them had gone to Salem's School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Kari remembered the day she got her letter like it was yesterday. She, Jes, and their adoptive parents had been sitting in the living room, when two very large barn owls flew over and started tapping on the window. Startled, Jes ran over and opened the window, not noticing until a few moments later that the owl had dropped a letter at his feet before flying away. Meanwhile, with trembling hands, Kari picked up the letter that the owl had dropped in her lap. Kari glanced over at her brother and heard his familiar voice inside her head._ Should we open them?_ He thought.

"Yes, let's open them," Kari said out loud.

Kari was used to the fact that she could speak to her brother telepathically, because they had discovered their strange power when they were very young. She slowly undid the wax seal and opened the letter. Inside was the piece of parchment that had changed their lives.


	2. Remembering the Past

Kari jerked back into reality, not realizing that she had been daydreaming, but then the daydream caught up with her again when she remembered what her life was life before she had gotten her letter. Her current parents, Lindsay and Alfred Marshall had adopted her, when she was seven years old. She had been overjoyed with their decision to adopt Jes as well. Her life had been normal before she got her letter. Every year, she went to Mrs. Blessitt's Boarding School for Girls. She had had many friends there, and it was there she not only discovered her amazing musical talent, and aptitude for languages, but also the beginning of her powers as well.

One day while in the dorm room alone, Kari said to herself, _now where is my violin?_ Suddenly, as though it were magic, the violin, still inside its case, flew over and set itself on her bed. For a moment, all she could do was stare. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Then eyeing a rather large dictionary on the other side of the room wished that it would come to her. Soon enough, the heavy book flew into the air and landed on the bed beside her. Just then though, her roommates walked in and she was forced to play her violin, instead of further exploring her new powers. 

Kari jerked once again as she returned to reality. She stood up and walked to the window. Even though the sun had risen, the small town of Silver Cliff, Colorado was still asleep. As Kari was examining the sky for clouds, two owls caught her by surprise. She opened the window wide enough so that the owls could fly in, then went over and sat down on the couch. The two birds flew inside and they made Jes nearly jump out of his seat. Kari recognized that the breed. There were two barn owls, one was a tarnished-brown color, and the other was a marble gray. The owls swooped around the living room and dropped their burdens at the twins' feet. Then, Kari and Jes, with trembling hands, opened the envelopes. 

During their previous year at Salem's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the twins had applied for a foreign exchange program, where three students from their school would go to another country and stay there for the remainder of their education. Kari knew that they had finally received their answers.

Kari flicked open the letter and began to read, then she gasped. Kari had been accepted to Hogwarts, the most respected Wizarding School in Britain. Feeling intense joy rush into her heart, she looked over at Jes cautiously. His face showed neither joy nor sorrow.


	3. Joy and Sorrow

"Where are you going?" Kari asked.

"Hogwarts," Jes said as a broad grin spread across his face. Together they rushed upstairs to tell their parents, not even bothering to skip the last step, which complained loudly with a creak. About fifteen minutes later, the whole family was downstairs at the kitchen table, talking about what was going to happen next. It was now about seven in the morning, and their mother Lindsay, insisted on making them a celebration breakfast. The twins were then shooed out of the kitchen. As Kari flopped down on the couch, she began to hear very serious voices from the kitchen, that is, until Jes turned on the television, so that he could watch the news. 

Almost an hour had passed by the time they were allowed back into the kitchen. Upon entering, they found a large plate of sausages, bacon, toast, and their favorite, chocolate-chip pancakes. Although normal people usually have this kind of thing for breakfast, Kari's jaw dropped. Because their mom was such a health-nut, they were rarely given such things as this. _Let's eat_. Kari thought to Jes. He nodded and led the way to the table. They ate and ate until they were filled to the brim. Kari looked over at her father, who began to speak. 

"Kids, I don't know how to tell you this, but your mother and I have decided to move to London." He put up his hand so that they wouldn't interrupt. "Since you will be going off to Hogwarts soon, we think that it would be better for all of us if we lived closer to there. Besides, you were born in England, and that is where your parents lived before they died. "Jes opened his mouth to say something, but realizing Kari's glare, shut it again. Her father continued. 

"I know this is kind of sudden, but if we start packing now, then we should be moved in time for your birthday."  
"Alright kids, why don't you go upstairs and start packing, there are some boxes in the back of your closet," their mother said.

Jes and Kari were speechless as they walked up to their room. This was the first time Kari had ever seen Jes speechless. She went to the dresser and started to pull things out, as Jes pulled the boxes out of the closet. About five minutes later, Kari was finished with the dresser, and started to take things off of the wall. As she took down the calendar, she counted the days until their birthday, which was July thirty-first. Only five more days until they were fifteen. It was now Friday, July 26. Kari looked over at Jes, who was writing something on a piece of parchment. She read his thoughts, even though she knew she shouldn't. He was sending a letter to Veronica, telling her about the letters they had just gotten, and the news they had just received. Kari hated the look he had on his face right now. Her eyes turned from a dark brown, to a grueling black, and Jes sensing her gaze, turned and looked her hard in the face. He had tears in his eyes as he gave the letter to Ragus, their owl. She was a brown tawny owl, which had beautiful yellow eyes. The owl flew out of the window just as Kari spoke.


	4. Suspicion

"Do you remember London at all? Because I don't."

"I don't know, I guess a little, but not much," he replied in a dead sort of voice. Kari detecting that he didn't want to talk dropped the subject and began packing again. A few minutes later, Ragus returned with a letter clutched in her beak. Jes rushed over to her and took the letter; she nipped him affectionately and flew over to her cage that was now sitting on top of a pile of boxes. Jes suddenly looked up in shock.

"Kari," he said. "Veronica is going to Hogwarts too." He pushed the letter at her so that she could read the untidy scrawl. 

"Cool," said Kari falsely. Although she didn't like Veronica, she didn't want her brother to live without something he really wanted. 

It only took the family two days to pack, and it was now Sunday, July 28. Kari's dad had scheduled a viewing of a house in London over the Internet. They watched their old house drift slowly out of sight as they drove to the muggle airport. 

When the twins stepped off of the plane, their eyes wandered curiously. It was as though they were walking into a past life. The last time they had seen London, was when they were four years old, and being sent to live with a lovely old couple in Nevada. They gathered up their luggage and made their way towards a rental car in the parking lot. _The scenery is so beautiful_, Kari thought at Jes. He didn't reply.

They drove up to a fancy-looking house with two floors. When they walked inside, they discovered its beautiful wood floors and high ceilings. When the realtor showed up, they were given a tour, the history of the house, and some fun facts about how the attic had been the favorite room of the children that had previously lived there.

The twins waited in the car while their dad talked with the realtor. When he reached where the car was parked, he nodded, and they understood. 

"When can we move in?" They asked in unison.

"We can stay the night if we want to," her said. "The truck won't come 'till tomorrow with our things, so we don't have to worry about unpacking tonight."

"Great!" Jes said anxiously. "This way we don't have to pay for a hotel."

Their furniture and the rest of their belongings arrived the next day. The twins had just finished putting their clothes away, in their now separate rooms, when Kari thought at Jes. _Let's take a break, I'll meet you in the hall._ She stepped out of her room to find Jes standing in the hallway. They glanced at each other and walked into the living room, where they found their parents. Their mom was sitting on the couch, sipping iced tea, while their dad was putting knick-knacks on the shelves.

"Well," he said, " I was just about to come and get you, Kari, since we put bunk-bed in Jessie's room, we need to get you a new bed, so that you don't have to sleep on the floor. Kari followed her parents and brother out to the car. She watched the scenery as it flew past her. Before she knew it, they were at the furniture store looking at beds. She picked out a bunk bed, almost exactly like the one in Jes's room.

"This way, when I have friends stay over, they won't have to sleep on the floor," she told her father.

"Okay, whatever floats your boat," he said smiling. He then paid for the bed with a credit card and Kari glanced over at Jes and thought to him as they were leaving the store. _How is he paying for all of this?_ Jes replied, _I don't know, first the house, now this?_

"Your bed will arrive first thing tomorrow morning, Kari. I hope you don't mind, but I ordered two new mattresses and sheets to go with it," Her father said.


	5. The Rings

"How are we paying for all of this?" Kari asked.

"Now, is that anything to ask your father?" he said. "Don't worry about the money, Kari, that is my job." Somehow Kari didn't feel right about what her father had just said. This of coarse was pushed out of her mind as soon as she arrived home. She grabbed a snack before going upstairs to finish unpacking. At nine, she went downstairs to lie down on her temporary bed, the couch, where she found some blankets and a pillow. Jes came down a few minutes late to bid her goodnight. He hugged her before heading to bed himself. 

When Kari awoke the next morning, she found two strange men walking down the hall. One man was short, with a balding head, and cold, gray eyes, and the other had thick brown hair and a mustache. They waved before leaving the house. She ran upstairs to her bedroom, and found that her new bed was sitting in the middle of the room. Then, quite suddenly, she heard a voice from behind her that made her jump. 

"Good morning Kari, you can move the bed anywhere you want," if was her father. She nodded and started to make a plan as to where to put her new bed. She decided on a place by the wall, opposite from a window. Kari, who had already unpacked everything else, started to make her bed, using the sheets and pillows they had purchased yesterday. 

After she was finished, she headed for Jes's room, which was right across the hall. He had just finished putting the last book on the shelf when she walked in and sat down on the bed. He sat down next to her, and she looked out of the extremely large window on the opposite wall. They sat there for a while, until they were called downstairs for lunch. Relieved at finally being unpacked, they raced down the stairs. After lunch, they decided to explore al little, hoping to find a few of the secret passages that the realtor had spoken about. As they got up from the table however, a clap of thunder and a bolt of lightening announced the presence of a storm. They would have to explore the inside of the house today. As they set off towards the attic stairs, Kari thought at Jes. _Do you ever think about our real parents? I miss them a lot, do you, I mean the Potters? _Jes looked at her, surprised by this sudden question, and replied. _Every day, yes Kari, I miss them very much and by what I know, there is a lot of our mother in you. _

Kari smiled at him as they opened the door to the attic. There they found a brightly painted room, with miss-matched furniture. The furniture had a few inches of dust on it, and in the corner was a very large trunk. Kari walked over to the trunk and opened it. When she found it empty, she was a little disappointed, but when she examined it more closely, she discovered a small strip of cloth protruding from under the felt-covered lining. She grabbed the cloth and pulled, trying to examine the cloth closer, but to her surprise, the bottom of the trunk was pulled upward, revealing a hole in the floor. Jes, shocked, looked over at Kari, who started to climb down the whole. 

When Kari dropped on the hard floor, she heard Jes's voice from up above her.

"Kari, are you okay? Can I come down?"

"I'm fine," she said, staring through the dust. "Its safe, come on down." Jes fell with a thud onto the floor beside her and stood up, staring around. Kari glanced around the room. There was furniture that looked very old. It appeared as though this was once a bedroom. There was a four-poster bed sitting next to the wall, and next to it was an oak table. On the other side of the room was a dresser. A full-length mirror was hanging on the wall next to it. Except for the fact that there was a thick layer of dust on everything, it looked at though someone had just left. 


	6. Translations

Kari started over to the dresser and opened the top drawer. Inside she found a thin, black box. She walked over to Jes, who was now examining the bed, and showed him the box. Without spoken words, they both knew that the box should be opened. She slowly opened the lid and inside were the most beautiful rings she had ever seen. They had inscriptions on them and it looked as though it was some foreign language. Jes picked it up to examine closer. 

"Kari, can you translate this?" He said.

"Yeah, I think so," she replied. "It says, um…. This looks like Greek, but I'm not sure. Oh yes, here it is." She had it figured out. "The three who wear these rings shall be one."

"Never heard that one before," Jes said when she'd finished. He picked up one of the rings and slipped it on his finger, it was a perfect fit. Kari too put on one of the rings, and put the box, containing the last ring, in her pocket. She glanced at the room, There were two panels in the walls, that Kari thought, used to be doors. She walked over to one, knocked, and heaved her shoulder onto the panel. To her great surprise, it gave way, and she was heaved into a familiar-looking room. Jes rushed over. It was a second before Kari realized that she was standing in Jes's closet. 

"Jes go and see where the other panel goes," she said. He rushed over and heaved on the panel, she rushed over to see where it ended up. Jes was now standing in her own closet that was filled with clothes. Kari, who was not yet ready to leave, closed the panel that she had originally opened. Jes did the same, and they went over to the bed to think about what had just happened. 

"Should we tell mum and dad?" Jes asked.

"I don't know. What would they say if we told them about this?" She said pointing at the ring on her finger. Jes shrugged and looked at the other furniture, wondering what to do next. Suddenly he got up and started to look in the drawers of the old dresser. When he found nothing, he looked over at Kari.

"We could keep this a secret," he said softly. " We could wait to tell mum and dad, but if they found out, they might be upset. Hey, this could be our secret meeting place." Kari agreed. They would keep the secret until their parents found out. Then, Kari got up and walked over to the panel, and pushed it open. She walked into the room, and Jes followed. Jes then raced upstairs to the attic to hide the secret entrance that they had entered through. When Jes came back down, Kari had already put the panel in place. If you didn't know that it was there, then it would be impossible to notice. 

After dinner, Jes and Kari went up to their rooms to get ready for bed. After bidding Jes goodnight, Kari lay down. For the first time in years, she and Jes had their very own secret place, one that they could go into when everyone else was asleep, or just to be alone. 

When she awoke the next morning, she realized suddenly that it was their birthday. She ran into Jes's room and prodded him awake. He woke up at once and they raced downstairs to find their parents arranging presents on the kitchen table. 

The day was filled with food, laughter, and presents. Kari had never seen Jes so happy. After lunch Kari turned on the radio and tried to find an American station. When she found one, it took her a second to realize that her favorite song was playing. _How you remind me_, by Nickelback. That night, while Kari was getting ready for bed, she smiled at herself. She thought. _We have the best parents in the whole world, even if we are adopted._ Jes, who was still awake, replied. _I know. Goodnight Kari._ She didn't have time to reply, because before Jes had finished, she had fallen asleep.

The month that was left before their first day of school passed by quickly. Before she knew it, Kari was standing at King's Cross-Station, with a letter telling her how to get onto the platform. 

Kari knew that her parents had gone to this school. She thought about what her mother had looked like. The only reason she knew, was because of a few very violent flashbacks she had had when she touched something that held a sort of essence. Kari of coarse was now used to these violent flashbacks, but whenever she had them, her brother not only looked impressed, but concerned as well, because her visions usually resulted in her collapsing on the floor. 

It was now ten-thirty. They had just enough time to board the train and say their last good-byes to their parents. Kari loaded her trunk onto the trolley her father had retrieved. Jes loaded Ragus onto his pile of school supplies, then looked over at Kari. She went over and walked through the barrier. Her first nerves hit her like a pile of bricks. 

She stared at all of the people on the platform, and was surprised at how many there were. Glancing to her left, she saw three people talking to each other. One, who was tall and thin, had untidy, jet-black hair. He was standing next to a bushy-haired girl, who was talking to a boy with flame-red hair. Kari's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a shout from behind. 

"Hey, Kari, Jes, how are you?" Kari looked up to see Veronica running over to her. She left her brother and started looking for a compartment on the train. They were all full, except for one in the very back, which was occupied by the three people she had seen talking to each other when she stepped onto the platform. They looked about her age. 

"Do you mind if my brother and I join you?" Jes then walked into the compartment, grinning. Before they could answer she said. "Oh how rude of me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Kari Potter and this is my brother, Jes. We have just exchanged here from our old school in America, and I'm afraid that we don't know anybody yet." Kari glanced at the three people standing in front of her. The bushy-haired girl's jaw had dropped.

"Oh, did you say _Potter_?" She began.

"Yeah, is something wrong?" The black haired boy stepped foreword, and appeared to be examining them quit closely. 

"My last name is Potter too. Where are your parents, maybe we can sort this out." He said.

"_Our_ parents died when we were younger." Jes said, glaring at the red-haired boy, who was eyeing him suspiciously. " If you would like to meet our current parents, they just left."

"Oh, do you know the names of your original parents?" The boy said.

"Yes. We do. They were Lily and James Potter. Why?"

"I can't believe it! I think I have a brother and sister!" The boy looked with black hair said, "By the way, my name is Harry,"


	7. The Train Ride

The girl with bushy hair asked. "When is your birthday?"

"July thirty-first," Kari and Jes answered quickly. "We were born about three minutes apart."

"I think you might be triplets," the boy with red hair spoke up. 

"Really?"

"Wow! Wait 'till Fred and George hear about this!"

"Who're they?" Kari asked.

"My brothers," the boy said. 

"These are my friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, "he pointed at the red-haired boy and the bushy-haired girl as he spoke. Kari held her hand out to shake, and Jes copied her. After they were all introduced, they sat down to talk. A red-haired girl walked in the compartment and Kari guessed that this must be Ron's sister. After introducing them and explaining the situation, Ginny left. Kari suddenly remembered the rings and pulled the box out of her pocket. 

"Here Harry, put this on," Kari said. After some heavy explaining about how they had found the rings, Harry slipped it onto his finger. It was a perfect fit, just like the others. When Harry looked up at her he noticed he eyes, which were now yellow. 

"Are your eyes always that color?" he asked.

"They change color with my moods."

__

"Weird," Ron mumbled. Hermione nodded and Harry pushed the bangs out of his eyes. Kari caught a slight glimpse of a lightening-shaped scar on his forehead and thought to Jes. _He has the same scar as we do._ Jes looked over at her, stunned. Then he asked.

"Harry, may I see your scar."

"Yeah, sure," he replied. He lifted up his bangs to reveal it. Jes looked over at Kari and she lifted up her bangs. He copied her. Hermione looked at the three identical scars and exchanged glances with Ron. Kari, beginning to feel nervous, fiddled with her earring. She then thought at Jes. _Do you think Harry has powers too?_ Harry looked up, shocked. _Can you hear me?_ When he nodded, she was very taken aback. Then, with help from Jes, they explained to Harry, Ron and Hermione about how they were able to communicate without speaking. Hermione then spoke.

"I've heard about that. I read about it over the summer actually. It is really rare. How old were you when you discovered it?"

"I would say about five or six. Why?" Kari asked.

"Wow. I think that you might be the youngest people to be able to communicate telepathically since, well, I don't know." She stammered.

"Wow," was all that Ron could say now. Then, the lunch trolley arrived, and Harry bought Pumpkin Pastries and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. 

"We can all share these. I bought enough for everyone," Harry said. Kari reached out for a pumpkin pastry, but when she touched it, she suddenly went rigid. She fell onto the compartment floor with a thud, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione started rushing over to her. Jes watched as her eyes rolled back into hear head and he shouted.

"Don't touch her. You'll just make it worse." They backed away as soon as this was said. Harry gazed on helplessly as she began to twitch violently. He knelt down beside her on the floor beside Jes. A few minutes later, Kari opened her eyes again. She was still shaking badly. Jes and Harry grabbed her by the arms and helped her onto a chair. They were all very quiet for a few minutes, before Jes said. 

"So, what did you see?"

"I saw a very big room, and we were all in it. Jes and I were standing up in front of a long table that lined the wall furthest from the door. Apart from the table I previously mentioned there are four room-length tables that lead to the front one. Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting at a table near the center of the room, and we are all staring at a very battered looking wizard's hat, but that's all I remember."

"You must be talking about the sorting, but there is no way that you could know that the Great Hall looks like, because you've never seen it before." Hermione said calmly. "Now I'm confused. Kari, why did you collapse on the floor like that?"

Kari, who was still shaking a little, looked over at Jes, who started to explain. He explained about how Kari could see the past, future, or the present, when she touched something with a certain essence. Kari grabbed for another Pumpkin Pastry. Harry watched her apprehensively. Jes sat down next to Kari, who was sitting next to Harry. Ron, who was sitting opposite them, said.

"The family resemblance is uncanny." This comment made Kari smile for some reason. Jes leaned over to talk to Ron, Hermione and Harry.

"I would watch it if I were you. She has a very bad temper."

"No I don't," Kari said furiously. She suddenly realized the time and said.

"We'd better change into our school robes. I think we will arrive in a few minutes." Then, without fail, a few minutes later, the train slowed to a stop and they filed off. Jes holding Kari's hand, because she was still shaking. They spotted a very large man, with a tasseled beard bellowing over the crowd.

"All firs' years and foreign exchange students this way. Come on, o'er here."

Kari and Jes walked over to where the large man was standing. They had to crane their necks to look into his face. 

"Hello there, you must be one o' the foreign exchange students. Welcome to Hogwarts." Jes and Kari merely nodded, indicating that they understood. They were speechless as they got into the boats and road across the lake. When they saw the castle over in the distance, their jaws dropped. 

Soon they were walking into a room where a very stern-looking woman stood. She introduced herself as Professor McGonagall before separating them into two lines. One containing a number of first year students and the other held twelve foreign exchange students, three of which were from Salem's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The others as Kari found out were from different schools from around the world. There was Courtney Storm, who had shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes, Joshaua miller, who was a short, dumpy-looking boy with brown hair, gray eyes, Justin Sawyer, who was tall and gangly-looking with bleached blonde hair that was cut slightly above his ears, making them look extremely large. Trent Navarro had short blonde hair and brown eyes, Kari found that he was from America also, but instead of being form Colorado, he was California. Anthony Hawthorn had ear-length black hair and hazel eyes. Raven Browen had long and hazel eyes, her friend Becca Ryan, had brownish blonde hair and Blue eyes. She could tell that they had gone to the same school, because they appeared to know each other. There were others that they already seemed to know. Two boys were standing behind them, talking excitedly. Daniel Marbywire and Scott Goldman were their names. Daniel was tall with brown hair and brilliant green eyes and a nice smile. Scott had light brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. He was about 5'7" tall and had a smile that could make any girl's heart melt. Kari's eyes changed to their regular black. Just then, she felt a tap on the shoulder. She turned around to see a frightened-looking first year boy who had blonde hair and hazel eyes. He was about two heads shorter the she was. He then said.

"Hi my name is Mason Schild. Is it true what they were saying on the train? Are you Harry Potter's sister?" Kari nodded and watched the boy as he got back in line, before turning her attention back to Courtney. She gaped at her. 


	8. The Sorting

"You never told me that you were Harry's sister," she said hotly.

"I didn't think it mattered. I figured that you wouldn't care who's sister I was or not." Courtney nodded in agreement and began jabbering on about how Drumstrang was so different from Hogwarts. Kari wasn't paying attention. She watched Scott flirting innocently with Becca, who was quite pale by now. Professor McGonagall returned and said.

"We are ready for you now. Please follow me. First years first, then foreign exchange students follow directly afterward." They followed her into the Great Hall, where hundreds upon hundreds of students were sitting, anxiously. Kari pointed the ceiling out to Jes and thought to him. _It is enchanted to look like the night sky._ Jes asked. _How did you know that?_ Kari mouthed _my vision_ and at once, he understood. When they reached the top of the hall, Kari peered around. She saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione waving at her. She gave them a weak smile as she waved back. 

Kari then turned her attention to Professor McGonagall, who explaining that to be sorted into their houses, they would have to try on a hat. Professor McGonagall began to call off the names in alphabetical order, and Kari zoned out. That is until she heard the name.

"Schild, Mason." The hat was on his head only for a moment, before it shouted.

"Ravenclaw!" mason then took the hat off of his head, handed it to the professor, and skipped over to sit down at a table on the side of the room. There were a few more names before the sorting ended with Zurich, Scott. Then the professor said.

"Now for the foreign exchange students. They will be starting in their fifth year. I hope that you all will treat them with respect." Kari jerked back into attention as she said this. She glanced over at Harry and thought._ Harry, what house are you in?_ Harry smiled at her and replied. _Gryffindor._ Kari nodded and turned to watch professor McGonagall. Veronica was walking over to the three-legged stool. She sat down, and Professor McGonagall put the hat on her head. The hat seemed to be thinking, before it shouted.

"Ravenclaw!"

"Browen, Raven," the hat shouted. She walked up to the stool obediently and sat down.

"Huffelpuff."

"Hawthorn, Anthony"

"Slytherin."

"Marbywire, Daniel."

"Ravenclaw."

"Miller, Joshaua."

"Huffelpuff."

"Navarro, Trent."

"Slytherin."

"Potter, Jessie." The room went silent. Kari watched as Jes, pure nerves on his face, walked over to the stool and sat down. The hat seemed to be trying to make a very difficult decision. Then a minute later, it shouted.

"Gryffindor!" There was a loud roar of applause from the Gryffindor table as Jes ran over and sat down. 

"Potter, Kari," Professor McGonagall shouted, so that everyone could hear over the cheering. The room went quiet once more. With trembling legs, Kari walked over to the stool and sat down, as the professor placed the hat on her head. It startled her when the hat started whispering into her ear.

"Well, very good at many things, I see, unusual abilities, loyalty, and yet there are secrets. Yes, maybe Ravenclaw, no wait… I know. Gryffindor," the hat shouted. Kari got up and ran over to the Gryffindor table to sit between her brothers. She was grinning like mad. Jes and Harry gave her a big hug. Harry began explaining about their meeting on the train and them finding out about how they were related. Two red haired boys looked over at them in amazement. Kari guessed that these were Ron's brothers. Neville Longbottom introduced himself and held his hand out to shake. They watched the rest of the sorting.

"Ryan, Becca," the hat continued.

"Huffelpuff."

"Sawyer, Justin."

"Slytherin."

"Storm, Courtney."

"Gryffindor."

Harry began talking about Quidditch with Dean. Fred looked over at Kari intently, although he said nothing, Kari could somehow tell that they would get to know each other fairly well. 

Just then, the doors of the Great Hall swung open and a boy walked in, sat down and began staring around the room. He caught her eye and waved. His hair was slicked back and he was wearing a smirk. 


	9. The First Class

Then, suddenly, to Kari's great surprise the platters on the table magically filled with food. She piled food on her plate and began eating. After eating a man with a long white beard stood up and introduced himself as the headmaster, his name was Dumbledore. He then began speaking again.

"I would like to introduce the return of one older teacher and the arrival of a new teacher this year. Teaching Defense against the Dark Arts will be Professor Remus Lupin, which some of you already know. Teaching potions this year will be Professor Janet Spencer. Now, your lessons will begin bright and early tomorrow, so it is now time for bed."

Harry led his brother and sister up to the Gryffindor common room. On the way there, he pointed out familiar things, so that they wouldn't get lost. He gave the password to the fat lady ("trivionis") and they entered the common room. She gazed around. There were some comfortable-looking chairs next to the fireplace.

"I'll show you where the common room is," Hermione said. Kari nodded and followed. They climbed the stairs, Jes and Harry at their heels. Kari bid her brothers' goodnight before going into the dormitories. 

The next morning Kari got up, dressed, and brushed her hair while she was walking down the stairs. She sat down on the couch and spoke to Jes.

"What do you think? Should I be a blonde or brunette today?"

"Blonde," Jes answered as though this was as every day question. Kari reached up and ran her fingers through her hair. To Harry, Ron and Hermione's surprise, it turned blonde at he slightest touch. Fred and George walked in at this exact moment, and stared, not knowing what had just happened. Kari then brushed her hair and pulled it back into a loose braid that hung down her back.

"How? When did you?" Hermione stammered.

"Oh that," Kari said, " I've been able to do that for years. Harry shrugged off his questions and stood up. 

"Shall we go to breakfast then?" he said. They all nodded and set off for breakfast. As Kari sat down, she noticed a blonde boy smiling and waving at her. After looking him over, she turned and directed her attention towards Harry and Ron's conversation, but when the subject turned to Quidditch, she became particularly interested. Kari thought at Jes. _Why don't we try out for the Quidditch team? I hear the house team is really good. Either one of us would be perfect keepers!_ Jes thought for a second and then replied. _Okay, why not, the Quidditch trials are in two weeks._

Harry then shoved a piece of parchment into her face. She took the parchment form him and began reading. It was her schedule and Kari glanced over at everyone's. They mostly had the same classed, except Hermione, who didn't take Divination. 

They gulped down their breakfast, and with the fear of being late for their first class, walked out onto the grounds for their first class, Herbology. To her great surprise, Herbology was quite enjoyable. It seemed as though Professor Sprout was working extra hard to make the new students feel welcome. Next came Transfiguration. Kari took out a piece of parchment as soon as she sat down. She thought at Jes. _If this is anything like Transfiguration at Salem's, we're gonna take notes first._ Sure enough, she was right. They then concentrated on turning a yo-yo into a mouse. In the middle of the lesson, Professor McGonagall asked Kari up to the front of the room, so that she could demonstrate the last thing they learned at their old school. Kari quietly walked up to the front of the room, and stood to next to McGonagall. She took out her wand, muttered a spell under her breath and gave it a small flick. Everyone turned his or her gaze towards the ceiling as McGanagall's desk turned into a giant, gleaming unicorn. Then with another flick of Kari's wand, it turned back into its regular state.


	10. Visions

"Twenty points to Gryffindor. Kari, what else did you finish up with at the end of last year?" Professor McGonagall said. She still looked amazed at the fact that a fifth year student could do such advanced Transfiguration. 

"Well, we were studying Animagus, if that's what you mean," Kari replied.

"Animagi has already been covered in this school Miss Potter. I hope that you and your brother will be all right if we move on. By the way, could I see you and Jes after class?" A few minutes before the class was over, the students started packing their books into their bags. 

Fifteen minutes later, Kari walked into the Great Hall for lunch. She sat down beside Harry and Jes sat down across from her.

"So," Harry said, " what did she say?"

"She wanted to know if we were interested in a schedule change," Jes replied coolly.

"A schedule change? To what?" Hermione asked.

"To a more advanced Transfiguration class," Jes said, stuffing a potato into his mouth. He looked up and saw Kari's eyes turn to a periwinkle blue. Hermione, Ron, and Harry gaped at them. Kari of coarse couldn't see why.

"So when do you start?" Ron asked.

"We get our new schedules next week," Kari replied. That was the end of the conversation. Kari noticed the boy blonde boy winking at her from the Slytherin table.

"Who is that boy and why does he keep waving at me?" Kari whispered so that only Hermione could hear. She looked over, sniggered, and then said.

"That is just Draco Malfoy. I think he fancies you." Hermione said loud enough so that Jes and Harry could hear. "You'll want to watch out for him, though, he's bad news. He hates everyone who isn't in Slytherin house, that is except _you_." Jes heard this and followed Kari's gaze to the boy with blonde hair. He stopped winking at her when he noticed Jes looking at him. 

After lunch, they got up and headed of towards Hagrid's cabin, which was where their last lesson of the day would be held. As they were walking down the steps, Kari heard a voice from behind her.

"Hey Potter, since when are you allowed to stand next to the prettiest girl in the school?" Kari turned to see Draco Malfoy coming towards him. He smiled at her. Draco reached for her hand to kiss, but Kari pulled away in disgust. She then spoke.

"I just happen to be his sister, thank you very much, and my brothers are allowed to hang out with me anytime they want. _You_ of coarse, will need my approval beforehand." Draco just gazed at her. Her eyes turned to a malicious-looking red. Just then an extremely large person overshadowed her, when she turned and recognized that it was Hagrid, she smiled.

"Hello Hagrid, how nice to see you again." She said. Her eyes then turned to a bright green. Malfoy stalked away followed by his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. The lesson was going to begin soon, so they followed Hagrid up to his cabin. Jes opened the gate politely and winked at Veronica as she walked through.

The class, in Kari's opinion, was very boring, that is, until Hagrid started describing a very interesting creature. It was the quintaped. It appeared to be a large spider covered in reddish-brown hair. When the class ended, Kari stayed behind to ask more about the strange animal. Jes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited for her by Hagrid's hut. As soon as Kari touched the gate, she froze. She hit the ground with a great THUD! Jes again screamed for nobody to touch her. Hagrid started over looking concerned. About five minutes later, Kari opened her eyes once more. She couldn't believe what she had just seen. When she sat up, she felt something trickling down her back. She reached back to see what it was, and when she saw her hand, she almost fainted. Her hand was covered in blood. She realized that she had hit her head on the rock that was just behind her. 

Jes and Ron pulled her up onto her feet and Jes led her up the stone steps to the hospital wing. As they set off towards the stairs, Jes shouted back at Ron, Harry and Hermione.

"I'll take her up. We'll meet you back in the common room later."

The others nodded and headed off for the common room. Half an hour later, Kari and Jes entered through the portrait hole. Kari left to change her robes at once, and Jes flopped down on the couch beside Harry. It would soon be time for dinner. When Kari came down the stairs, she was talking wildly with Hermione.

"Back home in America, everything is different," she was saying. "It's strange the things that you miss."

"Time to go down to dinner," Hermione said, pointing to the clock above the mantel. They all headed off for dinner.

Back in the common room that night, the subject of Kari's vision became the topic of conversation. Jes knowing that this vision might be important pressed the matter, but Harry, feeling that she didn't want to talk about it, did not. After a while of begging and pleading, Kari gave in and began to describe what she had seen.

"Okay. This time my vision was in the past, not the future. We were just born and were taken into the nursery of a muggle hospital. Dad however, had fainted and was unconscious, which is why he didn't know about us, Jes. Harry, you were born first, then Jes, then myself. We had just entered the nursery when the nurse left to go get something. She was gone for only a second, but when she returned, she found that we had vanished. She searched the hospital, but we were nowhere to be found. When she told mum, she almost fainted. Mum tried to convince dad that there were three of us, but since all of the evidence was missing, he didn't believe us. Then, later that night, we were left at a muggle orphanage. When the owner opened the door, she took us inside."


	11. Animagus

"Jes," Kari took a deep breath," you and I were the only ones taken, Harry wasn't. I have reason to believe that He-who-must-not-be-named has something to do with our disappearance. When we were about four, we to live with that older couple in Nevada remember? I also have reason to believe that they worked for He-who-must-not-be-named, because our names were put down on the list to go to Hogwarts. Somebody must have been trying to keep us apart, so that we couldn't come to our full power. We were somehow linked, because when you received your scar Harry, Jes and I developed identical scars, even though we were thousands of miles apart. By then we were still living with the couple in Nevada, but then they died and we were adopted by the Marshals."

"Do you think?" Jes began.

"No Jes, I know that they are not working for You-know-who, because when we were adopted by them, You-know-who had already lost his power, and most of his servants went back to their normal lives," Kari said matter-of-factly.

"But why would Voldemort want us killed?" Harry asked. Ron flinched at the use of his name.

"Because Harry, he knew that together, we would be invincible, but separated, we would be easy to manipulate. He has tried dozens of times to try to get me to go over to the dark side, but each time I refuse." Judging by the startled look on Harry's face, Kari could tell that he was concerned. She hastily changed the subject. "Ron, are you up for a game of wizard's chess?"

"No Kari, I want to know more about this. Why is Voldemort trying to capture you?" Harry said. She could tell he was serious, so she answered truthfully. 

"You see Harry, he found out about my powers just recently. During this last summer, he captured me. He tried to get me to become another one of his servants, but when I refused, he ordered me killed. His servants used an unknown number of spells and curses on me, but I was too strong. That was when one of my newest power appeared. Somehow, I was able to transport myself from one place to another. I escaped just in time. When I appeared in my back yard, I saw Jes running towards me, in his Animagus form." 

"Excuse Me?" Hermione cut in. "Did you say _Animagus_?" Kari continued, pretending that she hadn't heard her.

"Knowing they would come looking for me, I ran inside and started looking for a spell in one of my spell books. When I found one, I used if without thinking. The spell was an ancient one. It made it so that dark magic couldn't come within one hundred feet from the house. I had to have Jes's help for the spell, but it kept us safe, until we moved. But then I got a letter from the ministry saying that I was forbidden to do magic outside of school."

"Are you finished?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Kari answered.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were an Animagus?" Harry asked. He had a very sad and forgotten look on his face.

"Because, " Kari explained," I didn't know how you'd react." Harry looked at her and watched as her eyes turned to a dark maroon. Her necklace did the same. 

"Let's see," Ron said. "What animals do you transform into?"

"Timber wolf," Jes said at once.

"I'm a shifter," Kari said quietly. "It means that I don't have a certain animal." Judging by the look on their faces, they were just about to ask what a shifter was. 

"Would you transform so that we can see?" Hermione asked.

"Sure," Jes and Kari said together. They stepped backwards and swiftly transformed into animals. This time, Kari was a swan. She stretched out her wings and looked over at Harry, who to her great surprise, was looking over their heads. They turned back into humans just in time to see Neville Longbottom running out of the portrait hole. Jes and Kari ran after them, leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the common room. 

They followed him to Professor McGonagall's office before stopping dead in their tracks, realizing that soon, she would know exactly Neville had seen. McGonagall noticed them standing in the doorway, and asked them to sit down in the chairs that stood in front of her desk. They sat her office while Neville explained what had happened.

"Professor," Kari stuttered, "I can explain."

"This is a very imaginative story, Mr. Longbottom, but unless you can prove it, I'm afraid there will be no reason to inform the headmaster." McGonagall explained. Neville looked at her quizzically, wondering how he was supposed to prove what had really happened.


	12. Registration

"Mr. Potter, will you please tell me, are you or are you not an Animagus," McGonagall said. She looked at him sternly. He pondered the consequences for a moment, before speaking again.

"It is true professor, my sister and I are Animagus." 

"Are you registered?" McGonagall asked. "There are serious risks involved when you become an Animagus."

"No," Kari said, not believing her ears. She couldn't understand why Jes hadn't lied to her. "We're not registered, Professor."

"Professor," Kari tried again, "I can explain, you see…" But she was cut off when Professor McGonagall held up her hand for silence.

"If you will please change into your animals, I want to make sure that this is not some sort of scam," McGonagall said looking them up and down. Jes and Kari looked at each other and turned into their animals. Jes was a timber wolf, as usual, but this time, Kari was a small rust-colored dog.

"Mr. Longbottom," McGonagall said sternly, "I thought you said that Kari turned into a swan when she transformed. Kari, do you have some explanation?" Neville gulped at the stern look on he face. He of coarse had no explanation. They had now turned back into humans, and Kari decided that since she was going to be asked anyway, provided an explanation.

"Professor, I'm a shifter. That means that I don't have a certain animal. As far as I know, I'm the first that has been able to do this, but it is true professor.

"We shall go see the headmaster about this," McGonagall said. "I think he will understand this better then I can." They followed her to the statue of a stone gargoyle. Kari thought to Jes. _What do you think will happen to us? _ He shrugged as they climbed up the staircase into Dumbledore's office. They were in a circular room lined with paintings of past headmasters. The people who occupied the paintings looked up as they walked in. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk. They walked over to him and sat down in the chairs that sat in front of his desk. 

"Hello Minerva," he said, "What seems to be the problem?"

"Headmaster, I was just notified that these two are Animagus. They are not registered, and Kari has told me that she is a shifter. What a shifter is, I am not sure." Dumbledore looked at Kari with the utmost amazement. Then he spoke.

"Miss Potter, would you mind explaining to me what a shifter is?"

"Well Professor, " she began, "a shifter is an Animagus who doesn't have a certain animal. At will, I can change into any animal I think of." Dumbledore looked into her eyes and they turned a bright purple. He smiled and said.

"I have no reason not to believe her, Minerva. A person is innocent until proven guilty. Kari, would you please transform into a… cat?" She nodded and turned into a cat, then back again. McGonagall's eyes widened in amazement "Now would you turn into a rabbit?" Once more she obeyed, and once more Professor McGonagall's eyes widened. "Alright Kari, you have proven that you are a shifter. Jes, are you also a shifter?"

"No," Jes answered quickly.

"Alright then Jes, what animal do you turn into?"

"Timber wolf." He answered again.

"Alright, now all that is left to do is to have you two registered," Dumbledore said. Although, I'm sure that the ministry will like to investigate what _exactly_ a shifter is."

"Why do we need to notify the ministry?" Kari asked nervously. "I mean, what they don't know won't hurt them, will it?"

"Kari, I'm surprised at you," McGonagall snapped. "I thought that you were more responsible then that. You know that we are required by law to register you upon discovering that you were Animagus." Kari then did something completely unsuspected. She turned and ran out of the room. She ran so fast, that there was no hope in catching her. Not knowing or caring where she was going, she was surprised when she found herself in a room. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she gazed around. There was a fireplace on the far side of the room, by the biggest stained glass windows she had ever seen. She glanced around, and noticed a door, although curious, she dared not open it. Sitting down in one of the chairs, she checked her watch. Although it was almost time for bed, she didn't care. Kari felt that she needed some time alone, to sort things out. She snapped her fingers and suddenly, there was roaring fire in the grate. The shadows grew sat this, and it gave the room an eerie glow. She stared into the fire, her vision blurring from the tears that were running down her cheeks. After about an hour, Kari finally drifted off to sleep.


	13. Tryouts

The next morning, when she awoke, Kari glanced at her watch. It was time for breakfast. She got up and ran, flat out, to the Great Hall. Again she snapped her fingers and suddenly, she had on different robes and her hair was brushed and braided. 

She reached the Great hall just as Hermione sat down. Everyone stared at her. She walked down the table and sat down by Fred, who watched her over his bacon. 

"Where were you?" Jes asked. "We were all worried, I mean, you didn't even bother to send us a owl." 

"What is with the third degree?" Kari said coldly. She was still upset that Jes hadn't lied to Professor McGonagall about them being Animagus. After gathering an assortment of foods, they all ate in complete silence. 

The next few days went by in a blur of classes. Kari was still angry with Dumbledore for notifying the ministry, but she was talking to Jes again. Jes could sense her nerves about the Quidditch trials, and had to continually tell her to eat. She became increasingly quiet as the trials came ever closer, so that even some of her other friends became worried about her health. 

"You don't look so good Kari, why don't you g see Madam Pomfray?" Courtney suggested one afternoon, as they exited the charms classroom. Professor McGonagall stopped Kari in the corridor one evening after dinner. McGonagall had informed her that a representative from the ministry would be visiting the school the day after the tryouts, to interview them. 

Soon it was the day of the tryouts. She tried to act as she normally did, but she was so nervous, she felt as though there were a million butterflies flying around in her stomach. When it was time, she ran up to the dormitory to get her broomstick, before running, flat-out to the Quidditch field. She was the first to show up for the tryouts, and by the time Jes arrived, there were five other people standing beside her, all looking anxious. 

After the tryouts, Kari was exhausted, but went to visit Hagrid anyway. She knocked on the door and immediately heard Fang's loud, booming barks from inside. When the door opened, Hagrid smiled, and let her in. Fang bounded foreword, licking her ears. She pushed him off and went to sit down at the table, but there was already someone sitting at it. Dumbledore took a sip from his extremely large glass of tea as Hagrid bustled around the small cabin preparing some for Kari. 

"Hello Kari," Dumbledore said smiling. His eyes twinkled under his half-moon spectacles. 

"Hello headmaster," Kari said. Her voice had suddenly gone very cold. For one reason or another, she had the sudden urge to turn and run out of the cabin, but instead she sat down in the chair farthest from Dumbledore. Hagrid handed her a cup of tea. She had still not forgiven Dumbledore about informing the ministry.


	14. Grudges Against Dumbledore

"How are your classes going? Are the other students treating you alright?" Dumbledore said, attempting to strike up a friendly conversation. Kari ignored his question by taking sudden interest in the tea she was drinking. Dumbledore sensed this and said.

"Kari, it is my job to notify the ministry about things like this. It for you and your brother's own safety." Kari wasn't convinced. She gulped down the remains of her tea and thanked Hagrid before disappearing in a wisp of smoke. 

She appeared in the common room so suddenly, that Ron nearly fell out of his chair. Fred and George looked at her questioningly. 

"I thought you went to visit Hagrid," Jes said. Kari didn't feel like talking about it, so she answered.

"He already had a visitor, so I didn't stay long."

"Are you still holding a grudge against Dumbledore? Kari, you're more mature then this. It is getting silly," Jes said. She turned around, pushed Fred out of her way, and stormed out of the portrait hole. She was still steaming when she walked through the now familiar door to the room that held the chairs and the fireplace. She knew that something was different, although she wasn't sure how. The room didn't appear as though it had changed. After looking around for about half an hour, she decided to go through the unexplored door. 

She opened the door and glanced around the strange room. Inside, there was a black grand piano sitting in the middle of the room, covered in a thick layer of dust. Kari walked over and sat down. She lifted the cover and ran her fingers over the keys. Then, unintentionally, she began to play. At first she played a simple scale, then she began playing more complicated pieces, slurring them all together like one piece. She played well into the night. If she stopped, then reality would come back to her. Her fingers began to cramp, so she stopped. She was surprised to hear clapping from behind her.

Peeves the poltergeist came floating down next to her, clapping loudly. _I could be mistaken,_ Kari thought,_ but was that a tear I just saw in his eye?_ He glowed brightly in the dimness of the room.

"That was beautiful Miss," Peeves said. He brushed the tear away. "It reminded me of old times, when I was alive." Kari couldn't help but feel that Peeves was joking with her. After all, it was he that had tortured them when they first came to Hogwarts. "You are Harry Potter's sister, right?" Kari nodded slowly. 

"My name is Kari," she said. "I always heard that you were a trouble maker, Peeves." Peeves opened his mouth to reply, but shrugged instead. He couldn't find anything to say, which was a first. 

"You are very good, Kari," Peeves stammered. "It is very late. You should be in bed. Come on, I'll escort you." They walked out of the room and down the hall. Kari couldn't help but believe Peeves. She had always known that Peeves had been alive once, but she never dared ask him about his life. They walked to Gryffindor tower talking. Kari waved goodbye to Peeves before heading up the last flight of stairs to the portrait of the fat lady. After she gave the password, she snuck up the stairs, careful not to wake the others.

The next day, Kari awoke feeling somewhat better about what was going to happen. She dressed and met Hermione in the common room. Soon Jes, Harry, and Ron joined them. On the way down to breakfast, they ran into Peeves. He was writing rude words on the wall with chalk. He spotted Kari and grinned, trying to hide the chalk behind his back. 

"Good morning Peeves," Kari said with a smile. Se was going to try out her power over peeves. "Mr. Filch won't like the fact that you have been writing on his nice clean walls, Peeves. I suggest that you clean it up right away." She forced back a smile. 

"Yes Kari, "Peeves said nervously. Hermione looked quizzically at Kari. "You wouldn't happen to have a rag, would you?" Kari pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and handed it to him. He immediately started scrubbing on the walls. Hermione was still staring at Kari, who was smiling. They walked down to breakfast in silence. Jes's mind was churning. Noone could control Peeves but the Bloody Baron. He thought at her. _What was that all about? _

"It's a long story," Kari said, concentrating on her scrambled eggs. It was about two o'clock when Professor McGonagall came in and said that they were to report to the headmaster's office. Kari, who was sill giving Dumbledore the cold shoulder, was reluctant to go. 

"Hello," said Fudge as Kari and Jes walked in. They replied in monotone voices. 

"Hi." 

"Well, let's get started then, shall we?" Fudge began. He pulled a piece of parchment out of the pocket of his robes along with a quill. He dipped the quill into a bottle of ink and began. "What are your names?" 

"Jessie and Kari Potter," Jes answered. He was extremely anxious to get out of there as soon as possible. Fudge eyes them both with a disbelieving look. Kari looked over at Jes and thought _what is his problem? _Jes shrugged. Fudge finally spoke up. 

"Potter eh?" he said. "Is this some kind of joke, Dumbledore?" 

"No, this is not a joke. I would like to introduce you to Harry's brother and sister. They just transferred here from Salem's School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Fudge wrote their names down on a sheet of paper and cleared his throat. "Animal?" he said. 

"Timberwolf," Jes answered quickly. Kari thought about what to say for a second and said. 

"I-I'm a shifter." Realizing that he didn't understand, she started to explain. "A shifter is an Animagus that doesn't have a certain animal." Fudge glanced over at Dumbledore, who nodded indicting that what she said was true. 

"Well, this is a very unique situation," Fudge said, scribbling something down on the piece of parchment. "Go ahead and transform, I need to write down any specific markings." An hour later, Kari and Jes finally left Dumbledore's office. Kari, to Jes's surprise didn't have a grudge against Dumbledore anymore. They heard a shout from behind and turned to see who it was.


	15. Things Hiding In The Darkness

"Hi guys!" Mason shouted, running toward them. "How are your classes going?"

"Okay," Jes said, trying to finish the conversation quickly. "Well, we're kind of in a hurry, so we'll have to talk to you later. Okay Mace?" Mason shrugged and walked away, muttering to himself. Kari started walking toward the piano room. Jes followed, not questioning where she was going. When they arrived, Jes finally understood. He immediately walked over and sat down in a chair by the fire. Soon Kari was playing. Listening and waiting patiently, Jes let her channel her emotions into the music. By the time she was finished, it was getting close to dinner.

As Kari, Jes, harry, Ron and Hermione walked down the stairs and into the Great Hall, Kari's mind began to wander. She was pushed back to reality when she bumped into something very hard. 

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I guess I wasn't paying attention," a girl with long, brown hair said.

"Go on," Kari told the others. "I'll catch up with you." She bent down and helped the girl pick up her things once again. Her books were scattered all along the corridor because of the sudden impact.

Kari studied her for a moment. She noticed her emerald green eyes hidden behind glasses; the girl was medium height, maybe 5'6" or so. They headed off to dinner together, talking as they walked. The girl's name was Raven Browen and she was a Huffelpuff fifth year. 

Kari agreed to meet her in the library after dinner so that she could meet her friends. The girls then separated and walked to their tables. Jes, reading Kari's face, could tell that she had gotten along with the girl fairly well. Kari's eyes turned hot pink as she sat down next to Neville. 

After dinner, Kari walked to the library alone while Jes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed to Gryffindor Tower. She found a table and sat down, quietly waiting. Raven showed up about five minutes later with a group of very talkative girls trailing behind her. When they spotted Kari, they were immediately quiet. Their curious eyes flickered up to the scar on her forehead before looking her over; their eyes stopped quickly when they reached, her now, bright yellow eyes. 

Raven introduced her friends in turn. First came Rylie Havelock, then Allison Zempel, and Melanie Lafferty. Rylie, who stood next to Raven nervously, was about 5'5". Her light brown hair hung limply on her shoulders and her blue eyes glinted in the torchlight. Allison's long, straight, blonde hair matched her blue eyes perfectly. She was shorter then Kari by about 3 inches; she was in Ravenclaw. She smiled lightly and excused herself from the conversation, saying that she had a lot of potion homework to do. Melanie, often-called Mel, had brown hair with suttle blonde highlights. Her ice blue-grayish eyes fixed Kari in a piercing stare. Then she too, walked out of the dull, dim, library. She walked quickly and glanced back over her shoulder at least three times before exiting. 

Rylie glanced nervously over at Kari and Raven, attempting to break the ice, started a nonsense conversation that lasted until Madame Prince bustled them out of the library. 

Not wanting to go back to the common room, Kari said goodbye to her new friends and headed for the piano room. She changed her mind halfway there and began walking the corridors. She didn't seem to notice anything around her, except for when she almost bumped into a Huffelpuff fifth year. For the second time that day, she apologized.

"Oh! I'm sorry."

"It's okay," the girl said. "No harm done. By the way, I'm Katie Stence." Kari looked her us and down. Her hair went to her shoulders and her bright green eyes smiled when she brushed the hair out of her face. 

Katie, for one reason or another, was very short and very pale. They strolled down the corridor together. Kari learned that Katie, too, had a brother. His name is Michael. She has a white owl with gray eyes named Spook. 

Kari then realized how late it was, so she bid Katie goodbye and walked back to Gryffindor Tower.

The two, over the next few weeks, became the very best of friends. Katie introduced Kari to another friend of hers named Hayleigh Hayden. Hayleigh has long, auburn hair and hazel eyes. She had a slight tan and quite a few freckles. Kari thought she was about normal height, beings that she was about two inches taller then Katie.

Hayleigh has two younger twin siblings. Their names are Abba and Abe. Abe, who is five minutes then his sister, Abba, is very humble. She owns a black rat with orange eyes named Duke and a gray owl named Duchess.

To Kari, Heyleigh seemed unaware that she was naturally intelligent. She was a smart aleck at times, but she was always very friendly. Hayleigh was a Slytherin, but it was apparent to everyone that she didn't want to be there. The weeks passed quickly and Kari barely noticed that Halloween was coming up soon. 

She awoke early in the morning on Halloween when a strange owl started tapping on the window above her bed. Opening it, she let the owl inside. it dropped the letter it was holding and flew off once again. kari opened the letter, sat down on her bed, and began to read. it said.

****

Dear Kari,

Happy Halloween! Your father and I miss you very much. I hope your adjusting well and meeting…er…new people. We'll see you and your brother over Christmas.

Mom

Something didn't feel right about the letter. She and Jes had already agreed that they were going to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas to keep Harry company. They had already informed their parents about their decision, except for the part about Harry.

She shrugged off her questions and stuffed the letter in her trunk. While walking down the spiral staircase, she decided not to tell Jes about the letter.

Because it was Halloween, there were no classes. Kari walked over to a couch by the fire and sat down next to Harry. He smiled at her. Suddenly, without thinking, she stood up and headed toward the portrait hole. 

"Where are you going?" Ron asked from across the room.

"I'll be back later," she replied. Jes shrugged and went back to his reading. 

Kari walked down to the Entrance Hall, opened the doors, and stepped outside into the crisp, clean air. She needed time to mull things over in her mind. Pulling her cloak closer to her body, she sat down and leaned against a nearby tree. 

Her attention was drawn to the ring on her finger. Lightly touching it with her finger, she though about her mother's letter. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. 

She turned quickly to find Katie. Her eyes glinted as she smiled and sat down next to her. They talked for a long time about nonsense things. Kari then realized how dark it had gotten. Jumping up, her eyes searching around in the darkness, she ad the feeling she was being watched. A dark, non-humanlike shadow of something was standing about 100 feet away from them. At the sight of it, she screamed.

W_as it a cat?_ she thought. Cold sweat was dripping down her face and she was shaking like mad. She was now aware of footsteps coming up behind her and Katie. They were running steps, with long strides. 

"Kari!" Jes screamed. "Are you alright?" He stared at her back. She turned to face him, pale and weak. He knew something was wrong at that moment. 

"Yes, I'm fine," Kari managed to stammer before she collapsed into the arms of her older brother. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Katie, and Jes helped Kari walk back to the castle. Once inside, Katie slipped away, silently. They went straight up to the common room, not bothering to go to dinner. Ron, went into the Great Hall to snatch something for Kari to eat.

They got up to the common room and Kari began to eat. The others watched nervously. Kari wanted to stay up for a while so that she could try to figure out what she had seen, but Harry and Jes bullied her into going to bed early. 

She got into bed, but did not sleep. Kari had made a decision to use one of Jes's ears like a hidden microphone. That way, she could listen to their conversation without them knowing it. Concentrating hard, she began to hear voices as Jes would hear them. 


	16. When Volde Comes a Callin'

"That was extremely scary," She heard Ron's voice say.

"You're right. It was a little weird. I never would believe it could happen if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Was it a coincidence, Jes?"

"No, it's happened a few times before," Jes replied. He didn't always like sharing secrets with people.

"You mean, you've screamed for no apparent reason before? Harry, has that ever happened to you?" Hermione sounded worried.

"At times I've felt like screaming, but I don't think…" Harry's voice trailed off as he searched his memory. "No! Wait! It has happened to me before. I screamed, but I could never figure out why."

_Okay, _Kari thought, _they both must have screamed at the same time. That's how they knew I was in trouble._

"Harry, when was the last time it happened?" Ron asked.

"Just over the summer. I think it was in June sometime" Harry took a second to think about it.

"Jes? When was the last time this happened?" Ron asked. He apparently thought he was going to prove a point.

"Over the summer," Jes answered, "It was June the 21st. That was when Kari was captured by Voldemort." Ron flinched at the name. "Only it wasn't just a scream. That time, I felt a lot of pain all over my body. Then later I found out that they used one of the Unforgivable Curses on her."

"Now that I think of it, I did feel a lot of pain that night." Harry said to himself."

Kari silently tapped into Jes's eyes, so that she could see what he saw. She did the same to Harry. If they noticed this, they showed no sign. They were standing if front of the fire in the common room. Hermione had a book in her hands and she looked nervous.

"I think I've read about this from somewhere." Hermione said. "Yes!" She went silent for just a second then she said. "Here! The connection between twins, or triplets, is a non-magical form of communication. Children with a twin (or triplet) often can make up their own secret languages without realizing it. It says here that it is not uncommon." Ron's eyes were wide.

"Wow!" Ron said, "I wonder if Fred and George can do that!" Harry glared at him. "Oh, sorry." Hermione continued.

"Twins that do develop these languages can often communicate without speaking and if one twin is injured, the other twin instantaneously is injured also. That would be freaky. Have you ever gotten hurt and the other one felt it?"

"Yeah, a few times. Let me see that," Jes said as he took the book from Hermione.

"Twins often know what their sibling is feeling and sometimes thinking. Similarities in thoughts and actions are often normal between twins that share similar emotional lives and experiences. Many studies have shown that twins are more likely to like the same things and have similar abilities if they are together," Jes read. He closed the book and looked at the cover. It was bought from a muggle library. "Hermione, when did you get this?"

"I-I," Hermione stuttered for a moment. "I bought it after Kari had her first vision right after Care Of Magical Creatures. I wanted to understand how both of you got scars when Harry and your parents were attacked even though you weren't there." She looked down at her feet.

"Why didn't you tell us Hermione?" Jes said. He didn't like the fact that she was doing research on them like they were some kind of experiment. He threw the book across the room. It hit the wall with a loud BANG and he stormed up to the dormitories.

"I think you should have told them, Hermione. I wouldn't like being researched either," Ron looked her in the eye. Harry turned and tried to leave the room quietly, but Hermine caught him. 

"Harry, are you mad at me?" Hermione asked. Even though she had asked the question, she didn't want the answer. "I swear, I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to understand." Harry turned and smiled at her.

"No, I'm not mad. I'm sure Jes'll understand. We just need to give him a little time. He's not used to letting people know this much about him." Hermione smiled back. She walked up the stairs and went to bed.

Ron followed Harry up to bed. Kari untapped Harry's eyes and closed her own. She heard Hermione come in, but didn't look. She drifted off to sleep long after the sound of Hermione's snores filled the room.

That night, Kari had a terrible dream. She was standing by the lake with Katie, just as it had been earlier. Suddenly, the dark figure appeared. It stepped into the light and she found that it was Voldemort. He reached into his robes and took out his wand.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he yelled and pointed his wand at Katie. Kari screamed, but there was no one to save her this time. Katie's body hit the ground. With just one look, Kari knew that she was dead. Voldemort grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the darkness. She tried to fight him, but he was too strong.

Kari woke up because Hermione was shaking her. Startled, she looked out the window. A face could clearly be seen through the glass. She recognized the face from her dream and she let out a startled scream. Hermione turned around to see what she was staring at, but the face was gone.

"Kari, what's going on?" Hermione half screamed. All of the other girls were staring at them. Kari quickly got up, grabbed her robe and headed down the steps to the common room. She was shaking like mad. _Voldmort has come for me again, _she thought. Hermione came down the stairs followed by Jes, Ron, and Harry. Kari rushed to them, hugging them tightly. 

Tears flooded from her eyes and she explained her dream and when she described the face in the window, Ron gasped. Her tears kept coming uncontrollably. She couldn't help but feel completely hopeless.

"If he wants to get me, he'll find a way," she said after about an hour. Jes shook his head. Harry put an arm around her shoulder comfortingly. Jes knew it was true, but he would never admit to it out loud.

No one slept very much for the rest of the night. When the other Gryffindors came down the stairs to head to breakfast, they found the group sitting by the fire. Kari yawned and sat up. Jes's head was resting on her shoulder, and trying not to wake him, she lay his head down on a pillow. She ran upstairs and got dressed, trying to act as thought nothing had happened.

When she got back downstairs, the others were up and moving, everyone except for Jes, who was still asleep on the couch. She put her finger to her lips, telling everyone not to wake him. She looked at him and remembered all that he had done for her. When she was little and tripped and skinned her knee on the sidewalk, he had comforted her. Jes, before coming to Hogwarts, had been the only brother she had ever known. 

Jes finally woke up about fifteen minutes later. He ran up, got dressed, and they all headed down to breakfast. A tension hung in the air, but it was not a stifling as it was the night before. They talked a little during breakfast and then went back upstairs. The day was like any other, except that they were all very tired and kept drifting off to sleep in their classes. Kari almost got a detention when she fell asleep in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

By the time it was time for dinner, Kari's eyes were a dark gray. She went through the whole meal without speaking. When she did finally head up to bed, she was asleep as soon as she hit the pillow. Her days began to run together as Christmas approached. Although she enjoyed the decorations and the snow, she was always tired no matter how much sleep she had gotten. 

A week before Christmas, she began to perk up a little. It must have been the extra sugar she was consuming, because she was unusually perky. She went to Hogsmeade one weekend to buy Christmas presents with Katie and Hayleigh. After picking out her purchases, they headed to the Three Broomsticks to get some butterbeer to warm themselves up. 

Christmas was creeping closer and something was going to happen. Kari could feel it, although she didn't know whether it was going to be good or bad. She couldn't bring herself to inform Jes and Harry about it, but she tried time and time again. 

Christmas Eve came before Kari had a chance to mention it and they were all wrapped up in the holiday activities, so their minds never had a chance to linger on it. After the feast, Kari went to bed very full and very sleepy. When she woke up the next morning, the sun was shining through the window and a fresh inch or so of snow was on the ground. 

Every one else was in the common room when she showed up with her gifts for her friends in hand. She handed them each a parcel and sat down on the sofa next to the fire to watch them open them. Harry opened his parcel first. Inside, he found two books. One with a black leather cover with the initials J.P. on the front and the other was navy blue with the letters H.P. in the corner. His jaw fell open as he stared at the two journals.

"Kari, I don't know what to say." He was finally able to say. Jes smiled. Both of them had read their father's journal already and knew all of its contents by heart. "Thank you," Harry said. He was grinning from ear to ear. Jes was the next to open his gift. He pulled out a photo album and held it up for the others to see. There was a picture of Jes and Kari on the front. They couldn't have been more then seven years old. Jes flipped through the book of their childhood pictures. 

Hermione opened her present very slowly. Inside, she found a rectangular velvet box and when she opened it, she gasped. Inside was a necklace with a silver claw holding a marble. She looked at the marble and saw that inside, was the universe…Every star was represented in the tiny marble. 

"Oh my," she said out of breath. "I cant' believe it! It's beautiful! Thank you, Kari!" she hugged Hermione and sat back down, smiling. Ron was the next to open his present. He ripped back the paper and pulled out a key, a note, and a map. He looked at the note and read.

Ron, 

You have been such a good friend to me and if you follow the instructions on the map and dig when u reach the X, you will get your reward.

Love,

Kari

"Aww, Kari," Ron said. "It was nothing…I don't need a reward." Kari got up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. His ears turned red and he smiled at her. The friends talked and gave presents until it was time for lunch; then, they hungrily raced down to the Great Hall. 

After lunch, they went outside and had a snowball fight for a few hours with Fred and George. When the sun started to set, they walked back up to the castle for dinner. Kari, brushing the snow off her robes, was the last to enter. 


	17. New adventures and Tradgeties

Dinner that night wasn't very eventful. Katie and Hayleigh sat right beside Kari and her friends, even though they were from different houses.During the meal, Katie looked over at Kari.

"Hey, do you want to go for a walk?" she asked. Kari nodded and set down her fork. Before walking out of the Great Hall, she hugged her friends and her brothers and thanked them for the gifts once again. Katie walked out, Kari close at her heels. 

They walked out onto the cold grounds and Katie sped up. Hugging her cloak close to her, Kari ran to keep up. Before she realized where Katie was going, Katie walked past Hagrid's hut and into the Forbidden Forest. 

"Katie…er…where are we going?" Kari asked. Katie didn't answer; she just reached backward and grabbed Kari by the arm. She began to drag her along, weaving through the trees. Kari tried to pull away, but Katie's grip never faltered even when Kari tripped over a root and fell. 

They were walking for quite a while, when they reached a clearing. Katie dragged her into the clearing and pushed her down in the dirt. The moonlight cast an eerie light over the pair and Kari shivered. A few minutes passed before anything happened, but then a rustle in the leaves and the snap of a twig announced that someone was coming. 

Kari turned her head in the direction of the sound, and saw a man emerging from behind a clump of trees. He walked toward her and when he stepped into the light, Kari recognized him at once. She had come face to face with Voldemort. Gasping, she closed her eyes and wished that she were somewhere else. 

A few moments later, she felt a hand on her arm, jerking her on her feet once again. The hand pushed her foreword and she heard a cold voice talking to Katie. _Katie would never betray me like this, would she? NO! I know her. She must be under a kind of spell or something. _She opened her eyes and looked at Katie. Her eyes were stone cold, as if there was no soul behind them. 

"Come on," she heard the high voice say. "Get moving." He jabbed his wand into her back. She obediently moved foreword, but watched Katie as she walked slowly. Her foot got caught in a root once again and she stumbled. A hand grabbed the back of her robes and picked her back up before she could cry out. 

They walked for a few minutes, before they walked into another clearing that was completely hidden by trees. In the middle of the clearing, there was a wooden chair. It didn't look like something someone would usually find in the middle of a forest, but Kari didn't dare question it. Before she could protest, Voldemort grabbed her by the hand and pulled her foreword. Katie too walked forward obediently. They all put a hand on the chair at the same time and Kari suddenly felt very sick. She heard a whirring in her ears and it felt as if her hand was carrying her to some unspeakable place. 

Kari landed on the hard ground a moment later. She just lay there for a minute, not wanting to see where she was; not even daring to move. Then she was being pulled up and pushed toward a giant stone structure. It was dark, but the moon was shining brightly. 

Her ears didn't seem to want to work, and she strained to hear the most obvious noises. Katie had suddenly come back to her normal self and was looking around curiously. Voldemort grabbed her by the hair and pulled her over by Kari, who was leaning on the cold stone. He tied them to it and gagged them. Then he began his work. 

They looked around to try to figure out what was going on and where they were. Kari didn't recognize it right away, but it eventually clicked in her mind. _I've seen this somewhere before,_ she thought. 

"Katie! We're at Stonehenge!" she shouted through the handkerchief that was tied around her mouth. Katie seemed to understand and her face showed worry and astonishment. Before the girls noticed anything, people began apparating all over the place. They wore dark cloaks with the hoods up and they stood in a circle around the outer part of the ancient stone structure. 

"Tonight is the night I have been waiting for fourteen years," Voldemort began. "Tonight, I will gain more power and once again become the most powerful and feared wizard of all time." He walked over to a woman and a man standing on the right of them. They lowered their hoods and Kari saw the faces of her mother and father. The breath was immediately knocked out of her. That is where the money came from. She now knew the truth and she was frightened.

_Harry Jes Help! _Kari screamed in her mind. She knew that they would never hear her, but she could try. The funny thing about her powers was that they didn't seem to work when she was stressed. Kari tried so hard that she began to weaken and her brain hurt. Finally, she gave up and tried to untie get free of the ropes that tied her and Katie to the huge rock. If her powers had been working, she untying the knot would have been easy, but she was forced to find another way to escape. 

Kari frantically searched her pockets for something she could use and at last, she found Jes's old pocketknife and took it out; she was soon working on cutting the thick ropes. Katie watched her intently and tried not to give any hint about what was going on. Luckily, no one noticed what the girls were dong until they dropped to the ground and ran for the woods. They had just entered when they heard the shouting of a spell from behind. 

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort yelled and pointed his wand at Katie. Kari surprised herself by jumping in front of Katie. She felt power surging through her as the spell hit her ring and spreads to the rest of her body. "NO!" Voldemort screamed and he thrust his wand into his pocket as he rushed over. Many of the death eaters looked dumbfounded at each other at their master's strange behavior. 

"Tie her back up," Voldemort commanded as he pointed at Katie. "We must make sure that this one is not harmed. I need her alive for the transfer." His followers nodded and rushed over. Three of them grabbed Katie by the arms and dragged her back to the stone while the other stood and looked at each other. Surprisingly, Kari stirred. She was very weak, but otherwise, she was not badly hurt. 

A sudden flash of blue light caused Kari to open her eyes. The ring on her hand was burning. Beside her appeared Harry and Jes. Harry's wand immediately flew up and he shouted a spell that sent Voldemort flying backward into the clearing once again. They both looked at her suspiciously.

"What…How?" Jes stammered, but he was cut short as Voldemort staggered foreword. Kari's eyes turned dark red and hatred surged through her. Her powers seemed to be working now, and she quickly untied Katie from the rock once more. She pointed out the portkey they had used to get there to the others. 

She flung her hand over her head and Jes and Harry flew through the air towards the portkey. They landed right beside it and waited there for Kari. Kari snapped her fingers and in hand appeared a sword. The golden handle gleamed in the moonlight. With surprising courage, she lunged at Voldemort, her sword held high. 

She brought it down and sliced Voldemort's wand in half. Then she charged through the rest of the crowd towards the portkey. They all jumped out of her way. When she reached the portkey, she was about to grab onto it with the others, but she hesitated because she had one of her feelings. When she turned, she found Voldemort just a few feet away, holding another wand. His face was deranged in anger and he was snarling fiercely. 

"You are not going to get away this time. I won't let you," he said with intense anger in his voice. Thinking quickly, Kari threw the sword at him. It hit him in the shoulder. _Darn! _She thought. He grabbed his arm in pain. She turned around to face the others.

"Go!" she screamed. "Go back to Hogwarts and get help" They all shook their heads. "If I don't finish this now, he'll never stop looking for me. It would be easier if you weren't in danger as well." They continued shaking their heads and she gave up. Digging into her pockets once more, she frantically searched for her wand, but it was no use. The death eaters were moving in on her. Suddenly, her hand closed around a small potion vial. She took it out and looked at it. _I took this from Professor Snape's office a week ago. I figured I could use it one day. _She directed this thought to Harry and Jes. 

"No!" Harry yelled when he realized that the vial was full of poison. Without hesitation, Kari opened the bottle and chugged its contents. At once, she fell to the ground and was picked up by Jes, who was crying uncontrollably. They all touched the portkey and they were soon making their way back to Hogwarts with heavy hearts. All of them were crying when they stepped into the Entrance Hall and collapsed as Professor McGonagall rushed toward them. 

Kari was taken to Madam Pomfrey at once and was pronounced dead soon after. The whole school mourned, including those from other houses. Harry, Jes, and Katie explained what had happened to Dumbledore. Many tears were shed when Hermione and Ron discovered what had happened. Many different sroties spread around the school, but each of them had the same ending.

________________Later_______________

During the summer, Ronald Weasley kissed his mother goodbye and walked out the gate of the Burrow. He looked at the map that had been in his pocket for months. Each time he touched the crinckled piece of paper, tears came to his eyes. He delicately traced the route with his finger as he walked down the country lane to town. 

He traveled for only a little while when he reached his destination. He tucked the map away and pulled a small shovel out of his pocket. For a moment, he hesitated, but he got over his fear as he thought about the promise he had made on Christmas morning. After only a little digging, he hit something hard. 

Brushing the dirt off of a leather case, he inserted the key into the lock and turned. It clicked open and he slowly opened the lid. Inside, he found a large black, leather bound book. Lifting it out of the box, he pulled the heavy volume onto his lap. He brushed the dust off the cover and opened it. On the front page was a dedication. It read:

_To Ronald Weasley,_

The only man that was ever as fascinated with my gifts as I was. You were the best friend I ever had, and I love you for it. I only wish that we could have known each other longer, but bad times come and go faster then one can comprehend.

Love,

Kari Potter

Ron wiped the tears off his cheeks. Something about the inscription made him uneasy. The handwriting wasn't the same as the note Kari had given him in his Christmas present. It looked like it belonged to a child, but he could not figure out how she had written it long ago when they had only met at Hogwarts. He turned the page and found pictures of Jes and Kari as children. Some were muggle photos and some of the pictures moved. As he looked through the book, he found pictures of himself and Harry and Jes playing in the snow; he also found pictures of himself when he is older. 

Ron couldn't believe what he was seeing at first. He was looking at a picture of himself graduating Hogwarts and then another picture showed him at a desk working at the Ministry of Magic. He closed the book with a loud bang and stood up. A sudden light nearly blinded him. As he looked into the leather case, he saw an extremely large leather pouch and something metal was reflecting the sun. 

He bent down and picked up the pouch. It was extremely heavy. When he opened it, he found at least one thousand gold galleons and silver sickles. He dropped the bag in disbelief, then he picked it up again. He filled in the hole, and walked off with the leather case, book, and money pouch in hand and walked towards the setting sun.


End file.
